Today’s scripture: 1 Kings 19:9-16 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Julie Walsh):
A few years ago, I went to an Abba tribute concert at Connor Prairie with a group of friends. With our blankets in tow, we camped out on the grass and tore into our baskets and coolers filled with picnic treats and goodies. It was a mild summer night and conversation was lively. The mood was light. Stories and laughter echoed through our group with unbounded freedom. Time passed quickly and we were so wrapped up in fellowship that we hardly noticed the crowd that had pressed in all around us. When the show began, the performers appeared with their glitziest ’70s disco costumes. For the next two hours we sang and laughed and ate and talked.
And then God spoke to me.
Right there in the middle of this outrageous show, amidst the antics and humor of this motley group of friends, God appeared. Not in a story. Not in the lyrics or the music. Not in the stars that had filled the sky. God’s voice soared above it all and simply surrounded me in the moment.
With no regard to the actual music that was playing, I suddenly felt the inspiration to get up from our circle of conversation and to dance in the grass. Now understand, as I’ve gotten older dancing has become a more inhibited activity, so this motivation to dance was rather uncharacteristic. But there I was, flying around in circles with my arms fully extended and my head tilted to the sky. I probably looked like I had taken a few recreational drugs and was getting in touch with the dancers of the hippie era! But this was an all-natural Spirit-filled high. God was speaking to me through the dancing.
Sometimes we expect to see God in the big things like the wind, an earthquake, or fire. Sometimes we expect God to speak to us in traditional ways like prayer, song, or sermon. But God’s voice can be present anywhere we are willing to listen: at a crowded airport or subway station, in personal letters or journal writings, in books, at the movies — or at a noisy concert. The simple fact is that God will speak to us anywhere and anytime we are willing to listen.
Thought for the day: Open your spirit to hear God speaking to you today.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.